


Senshi of the Outer Solar System

by badgertrout



Category: Sailor Moon - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-04-04
Updated: 2016-05-13
Packaged: 2018-01-18 04:13:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 22
Words: 8,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1414651
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badgertrout/pseuds/badgertrout
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Short stories about the Outer Senshi</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Nightmares

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hotaru has been having nightmares lately. Set after Stars. I don't own Sailor Moon.

Setsuna woke up as a small strip of light hit her face. She turned her head to the side and saw a small figure standing in the doorway.

”Hotaru?” she asked and the girl walked over to the bed, closing the door after her.

”I had a bad dream again. Can I sleep next to you?” Hotaru asked.

”Of course”, Setsuna said and moved over to make room for the girl who was obviously upset. Hotaru had been having a lot of nightmares lately. Almost every night she had climbed into Setsuna's bed. It had all started after the battle with Galaxia. Setsuna had a feeling that the nightmares could have something to do with that. She had not yet dared to ask Hotaru. _I should talk to Haruka and Michiru_ , Setsuna thought before falling asleep.

 

”Good morning”, Haruka yawned as she entered the kitchen with Michiru.

”Morning. Is Hotaru still sleeping?” Setsuna asked as she poured coffee for herself.

”I think so. I didn't see her up yet”, Michiru said and took a seat by the counter.

”Good. I need to talk to you about her”, Setsuna said.

”Is everything all right?” Haruka asked with concern in her voice. Setsuna sighed.

”Hotaru has been having a lot of nightmares lately”, she said and set down the cup of coffee, ”I think it could have something to do with the battle with Galaxia.” Haruka and Michiru glanced at each other.

”Could it be about our betrayal? Since she hasn't come to us”, Michiru asked.

”I have been thinking about that possibility too”, Setsuna said. Just then Hotaru walked into the room. The three women exchanged a look between them.

 

”Hotaru. Come and sit with us on the sofa”, Setsuna asked. The girl looked confused but sat down between Haruka and Michiru.

”Setsuna told us that you've been having a lot of nightmares lately. We were wondering if it had something to do with... the battle?” Michiru started. Hotaru looked down at her hands and nodded.

”Can you tell us?” Haruka asked and wrapped an arm around the girl. At first Hotaru was silent before she started:

”Well... In my nightmares... you betray us again. But this time it's for real.” Michiru glanced at Haruka before pullin Hotaru closer to her.

”You have nothing to worry about. We will never betray you”, she said. Hotaru sniffed and hugged both Michiru and Haruka tightly.

”You promise?” she asked.

”Yes. Now go on and get some breakfast”, Haruka said and ruffled Hotaru's hair.

 

Setsuna smiled at Haruka and Michiru before following Hotaru back to the kitchen. _Maybe I can now finally sleep in peace_ , she thought.

 

”You know, sometimes I forget that she's still a child”, Haruka admitted and wrapped her arm around Michiru's shoulders.

”Me too. But I have to admit, I'm glad that she goes to Setsuna's bed instead of ours”, Michiru smiled. She kissed her lover's cheek before walking to the kitchen, leaving behind a baffled Haruka.


	2. Questions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I decided to chage this so that all of my drabbles and oneshots about the outers are here. I wrote this piece quickly last night. I hope you enjoy. I still don't own Sailor Moon.

"Setsuna-mama?"

"Yes?"

"How long is a thousand years?"

"Quite long."

***

"Setsuna-mama?"

"Yes?"

"Is a thousand years too long?"

"Depends how you look at it."

"But is it too long for you?"

"Not really."

***

"Setsuna-mama?"

"Yes?"

"Are you lonely when you're guarding the Door of Time?"

"I'm used to it."

"But are you lonely?"

"A bit, yes."

"Are you lonely now?"

"No."

"Oh. Then you should stay here."

"I can't. I have to do my duty."

"But you'll stay for tonight, right?"¨

"Yes."

"Good. Will you read me a bedtime story? Haruka-papa and Michiru-mama don't do the funny voices like you do."

"Of course."


	3. What does the rabbit say?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Michiru and Hotaru read a book

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the sake of this story, let's pretend that Hotaru turned back into a baby sometime after Galaxia and had a chance to have a normal childhood.

“Do you know what the cat says?”

Hotaru’s small hands patted the picture of the cat as she thought about her answer.

“Meow!” she said with a happy smile on her face.

“That’s right,” Michiru smiled proudly and turned the page on the picture book. Haruka leaned against the doorframe.

“That’s ridiculous,” she said and crossed her arms. Michiru didn’t even bother to look up at her.

“What do you mean?” she asked and let Hotaru turn the page again. Apparently the small girl wasn’t interested in the picture of the horse.

“Why are you teaching her words about animals? You should teach her more useful words so she can have a proper conversation with us,” Haruka said and watched as Hotaru pointed at a picture in the book.

“I think it will be a while before she can discuss politics or the news, Haruka. And besides, weren’t you just trying to teach her the names of different types of cars?” Michiru pointed out with a raised eyebrow. Haruka mumbled something and sat down on the armchair. Michiru smiled and turned her attention back to Hotaru.

“Do you know what that animal is?” she asked as Hotaru’s hand patted the picture. The small girl shook her head and turned to look up at Michiru for an answer.

“It’s a sheep. Do you know what the sheep says?” Haruka studied Michiru carefully. The smile on her girlfriend’s face was beautiful. That same smile was there every time Hotaru was around. Parenthood really suited Michiru.

“Baa,” Hotaru laughed and started to turn the page with her tiny hands. Soon she was pointing at a picture of a rabbit.

“That’s a rabbit,” Michiru said and looked up at Haruka with a challenging smile. _What, does she want me to imitate a rabbit?_ Haruka thought and frowned. Her thoughts were quickly cut by Hotaru’s happy voice.

“Mamo-chan!” Both Michiru and Haruka stared at Hotaru with confused looks on their faces.

“What?” Michiru asked and Hotaru tapped at the picture of the rabbit.

“Mamo-chan,” the girl repeated and tapped the picture again, as if to prove a point. Michiru’s lips curved into a soft smile as she realised what Hotaru meant.

“Oh, yes, well that’s what Usagi says. But I’m not sure if other rabbits say that too,” she laughed and looked back at Haruka.

“Maybe we should teach the princess some new words instead,” Haruka smiled and walked over to kneel next to Hotaru.

“Maybe,” Michiru answered and helped Hotaru to turn the page. Haruka gave both of them kisses on their cheeks and left the room. She still thought that this was ridiculous, even though it was cute.


	4. It doesn't bother me

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Fluffvember fic. Originally posted on Tumblr.

Michiru heard the door close.

“We just had dinner so if you’re hungry, there’s- mmph!” she was cut off by a kiss. Michiru wrapped her arms around Haruka’s neck and pulled the blonde closer. Finally Haruka pulled away.

“Wow. I guess you missed me, then?” Michiru asked, still breathless from the kiss.

“Less talking, more kissing,” Haruka growled and started placing small kisses along her lover’s neck. Her hand slipped under Michiru’s shirt, making the other woman moan.

“That sounds like an amazing idea, but I think we should move to the bedroom,” Michiru said and glanced at Setsuna, who was reading a book on the sofa. The guardian of time looked as if she wasn’t even aware of her two friends making out in front of her.

“It doesn’t bother me. I can go to my room if you want some privacy,” Setsuna said, still not looking up from her book.

“No, we’ll go,” Haruka said and took her hand out of Michiru’s shirt. Instead she slipped one arm under her girlfriend’s knees and the other one behind her back, lifting Michiru to her arms.

“All right,” Michiru said and wrapped her arms around Haruka’s neck. She leaned closer and started to kiss Haruka’s collarbone as the racer carried her towards the bedroom. It was getting harder for the blonde to keep walking.

The two of them had just disappeared around the corner when Setsuna heard a crash.

“I’m all right, but I think I should walk to the bedroom,” she heard Michiru’s voice say.


	5. Warmth

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My entry for the Fluffvember same prompt fic party

It had rained for hours. A small family was sitting inside their house, playing games in the living room. There was a fire in the fireplace, lighting the room with its warm light.

“I won!” Hotaru declared happily.

“Well now we have officially played every board game we have,” Haruka said and lay back on the sofa. Michiru started to put the game back into the box.

“It’s still raining so we can’t go outside. What should we do next?” she asked. 

“I want to hear a story!” Hotaru said and turned to look at Setsuna, who was sitting on the armchair next to the fireplace.

“Yes, Setsuna, tell us a story,” Haruka agreed. She lifted her long legs on the sofa and pulled Michiru closer. The sea goddess kissed her nose, picked up the soft blanked that was lying on the back of the sofa and pulled it over herself and her girlfriend. Hotaru climbed on Setsuna’s lap, snuggling against her mother.

Setsuna had an amazing skill of telling stories in a way that made them feel real, even when they weren’t. Most of her stories probably were true, since she had seen so many things during her long life as Sailor Pluto. Haruka still didn’t trust every detail, since Setsuna often changed things and added certain elements to make the story more interesting. 

Haruka felt relaxed as she listened to Setsuna’s story. The warm fire in the fireplace and Michiru’s body next to hers made the situation perfect. The only problem was that she couldn’t feel her right arm. The sofa was so narrow that Michiru was half on top of her. Still, Haruka didn’t complain. She just closed her eyes and enjoyed the story.

The story seemed to be a bit too relaxing, since both Haruka and Hotaru had fallen asleep. Setsuna was running her fingers through the small girl’s hair while telling the tale, even though Michiru had lost interest in the story a while ago. She still enjoyed listening to her friend’s calming voice. 

Finally Setsuna ended her story and placed a kiss on top of Hotaru’s head.

“Do you think I should wake her up?” she asked, but Michiru shook her head.

“Don’t. Let them sleep,” she said and laid her head against Haruka’s chest, listening to the steady heartbeat. Everything about this moment was perfect. She had her family with her and there was a fire, a blanket and her lover’s arms keeping her warm. She didn’t mind the rain outside. In fact, she wouldn’t mind if it rained even longer, as long as she could keep living in this happy moment. There weren’t any monsters to fight or enemies to beat. Just a happy family with no worries.

Michiru felt Haruka’s arms pulling her closer. The racer was possessive even in her sleep, even though there was no need for that. Michiru would never leave Haruka’s side willingly. She wanted to stay right here in this moment. She had everything she needed; her family, her lover, and a fire to keep her warm.


	6. The Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The family has a movie night. This was inspired by a conversation we had on Tumblr, about how the Outers probably have movie nights where they watch children's movies and act them out.

As soon as the movie ended, Hotaru hopped off the sofa. She ran over to the small box that was lying in the corner and started to pick up different objects from it.

“So, who do you want to be this time?” Haruka asked as she put the DVD back to its place. Soon Hotaru handed her a wooden sword.

“Michiru-mama will be the princess. You are the prince. And I’m Maleficent,” she explained and placed a plastic crown on Michiru’s head.

“What about Setsuna-mama?” Michiru asked. 

“She will be the fairy godmothers,” Hotaru said and pulled Setsuna off the sofa. “You need to lay here, Michiru-mama,” the girl explained. Suddenly she seemed to remember something and ran to her room. Her three parents were left staring at each other, but soon Hotaru returned with several stuffed toys.

“These are the other people in the kingdom. Setsuna-mama, you need to put them all to sleep now,” she told and handed the toys to Setsuna. The guardian of time placed them neatly in a row next to the television.

“Now, Haruka-papa. You’re the prince, you need to fight me, the dragon, now,” Hotaru explained. Haruka had just finished tying a knot on the curtain she had pulled down to make herself a cape.

“I thought you were Maleficent,” the racer said and picked up her wooden sword.

“Didn’t you watch the movie? I turn into the dragon! Rawr!” Hotaru said and took her scariest pose. Haruka smiled.

“All right,” she said and started to chase the little girl around the room. Michiru giggled at the sight of her girlfriend chasing their daughter around the sofa and proclaimed how she would defeat the evil and save the princess while wearing Michiru’s curtain as a cape. Very expensive curtain, to be specific, which Haruka would later have to iron and put back up.

“Michiru-mama! The princess is supposed to be asleep!” Hotaru said as she hid behind Setsuna. Michiru closed her eyes, but couldn’t help peeking a little.

“This is it, you evil dragon! Do you have any last words?” Haruka asked and pointed the sword at Hotaru. The small girl just stuck out her tongue and crawled under the table. 

“I know how to defeat a dragon,” Setsuna smiled and dragged Hotaru from under the table to her lap. She started to shower the girl in kisses.

“Hey! This is not how it goes!” Hotaru protested and started to giggle as Setsuna began to tickle her.

“You keep the dragon busy while I wake up the princess,” Haruka said and knelt down next to the sofa. She was just about to say something when Michiru spoke, her eyes still closed.

“Don’t you dare sing now. And no monologues either.”

“Sush now. You’re supposed to be sleeping,” Haruka said and leaned closer. Her breath lingered against Michiru’s lips for a moment before she closed the gap between them and kissed her princess. Michiru opened her eyes and wrapped her arms around Haruka’s neck. The two of them kissed again, and as they pulled away, they noticed that Setsuna and Hotaru were staring at them. Haruka cleared her throat.

“Well, now that the dragon is defeated and the princess is saved, I think we’ll go and enjoy our happy ending upstairs,” she said and gathered Michiru to her arms and started carrying her out of the room. Setsuna smiled and let Hotaru go from her arms.

“Would you like to watch another movie?” she asked and got up. Hotaru nodded and crawled over to the sofa while Setsuna picked the movie. This time the woman made sure to turn up the volume a little more than usual before getting on the sofa next to her daughter. She pulled the girl closer, and soon the two of them were singing along to the opening song.


	7. Your hair's all messed up

“We’re home!” Hotaru called from the door. She took off her small red shoes and placed them neatly next to the wall. Michiru walked into the room. 

“Hi, princess. Did you enjoy the movie?” she asked and leaned down to talk to her daughter. The girl nodded.

“Yeah, it was really funny! And Setsuna-mama bought me this bracelet!” she said and proudly showed the bracelet to her mother.

“That’s very pretty. Why don’t you go and eat something, you must be hungry. Oh, and be quiet, Haruka-papa is having a nap, she just fell asleep,” Michiru said, but Hotaru was already running into the kitchen. She got up and faced Setsuna.

“Did you like the movie? You don’t always have to be the one to go. Haruka and I can go next time,” she offered.

“No, I liked it. I actually prefer children’s movies, they have much happier endings,” Setsuna said as she put her jacket in the closet. “Besides, you and Haruka seem to have been busy while we were gone.”

“What do you mean?” Michiru asked. Setsuna had a knowing smile on her face.

“Your hair’s all messed up. Let me fix it,” she said and walked into the bathroom to get a hairbrush. Michiru looked at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was all messed up. She made a mental note to brush her hair next time after having some fun with Haruka. Setsuna had gotten back from the bathroom and was now standing behind Michiru, brushing the smaller woman’s hair.

“Maybe we should ask someone else to take Hotaru out next time. Haruka and I could make a mess out of your hair,” Michiru offered with a teasing smile on her lips. Her eyes locked with Setsuna’s through the mirror. Setsuna just brushed Michiru’s hair up on a ponytail. Instead of answering, the older woman set the brush down on the sidetable.

“There. All done,” she said and walked into the kitchen. Michiru glanced at the mirror once more before following Setsuna.


	8. First words

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka tries to teach Hotaru how to speak

”’Papa’. Can you say ’papa’?”  
The little girl stared up at Haruka with her big eyes.  
“Come on. I know you can do it. ‘Paaaaapaaaaa’”  
No response. Haruka sighed in frustration and lifted the girl from the floor into her arms. Hotaru giggled and clapped her tiny hands together.  
“Just speak already,” Haruka said and sat down on the sofa.  
“Gaa!” Hotaru gurgled happily. Haruka shook her head. She had been trying to get Hotaru to talk for a while now, with no luck so far. She had read from one of Setsuna’s many baby books that this was the age when babies could start speaking, and Haruka was determined to make sure that Hotaru’s first word would be ‘papa’.  
The blonde heard a familiar giggle from behind her. Michiru stood in the doorway.  
“Are you trying to get her to speak again?” she asked and walked over to the sofa.  
“Yes. But she’s still not saying a word,” Haruka sighed, and Michiru picked up Hotaru from her arms.  
“Maa!” the baby said happily. Michiru smiled and kissed her cheek. ‘Maa’ was not far from ‘mama’. Haruka knew she would have to change strategies in order to win. Well, raising a child was not a competition, but it would be nice if Hotaru’s first word was ‘papa’. Besides, Setsuna and Michiru had been there to see Hotaru’s first smile, so it would only be fair if it was now Haruka’s turn.  
“Is everything all right?” Haruka snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Michiru.  
“Yeah, I was just thinking about how cute the two of you look,” she answered.  
“Aww, thank you. You look pretty cute yourself,” Michiru said, leaning in to give Haruka a quick kiss. Hotaru giggled again from between them.  
“But, of course, you’re the cutest,” Haruka said and tickled Hotaru’s small foot. The baby laughed again.  
“Hotaru, can you say ‘papa’?” Michiru asked. Haruka looked back up at Michiru. The woman had a gentle smile on her lips.  
“Paa?” the girl said, looking confused. Haruka’s lips curved into a wide smile, and she gave the girl a small kiss on the cheek. ‘Paa’ was not far from ‘papa’. Maybe she hadn’t lost the game just yet.


	9. I want to hug you

Haruka sat in the kitchen, her lower lip sticking out in a pout. Her eyes were glued to the doorway that lead into the living room. She kept staring, even when Setsuna blocked her view.  
“What’s wrong?” Setsuna asked and started to make some tea for herself. Haruka sat in silence for a moment before answering.  
“Michiru isn’t paying any attention to me. And she’s hogging Hotaru all to herself!”  
“What makes you think so?”   
“Well, earlier I tried to get a kiss from Michiru, but she said she had to feed Hotaru. Then I tried to get her to watch a movie with me, but then Hotaru woke up from her nap. And later I offered to play with the kid so that Michiru could go and paint or something, but she wouldn’t let me!” Haruka complained. She let out a deep sigh that Setsuna knew meant ‘I’m lonely and I need my girlfriend’.  
“Aw. Are you feeling lonely?” Setsuna teased and got her favorite mug from the cabinet. Haruka nodded, still staring at the doorway.  
“Then tell her how you feel. I’m sure she’ll understand that you feel sad that you’re not getting all of the attention 24/7.” Haruka got up from her seat and walked into the living room with a determined look on her face.  
Michiru was sitting on the floor with Hotaru lying next to her. The small girl was holding her feet with her tiny hands and laughing at something. Haruka felt something melt in her heart, but that still didn’t erase the loneliness.  
“Michiru? I want to hug you so bad right now,” she said. Michiru kept her attention on Hotaru and leaned down to kiss the girl’s nose.  
“You can hug me if you want to. You don’t need permission,” she replied without even glancing at Haruka. The racer stood still. This was unfair. She deserved love and affection. Yet Michiru was only focusing on Hotaru. Haruka almost wanted to be mad at the child, but she couldn’t even look at the girl without feeling her heart ache.   
“You’re being unfair,” she pouted. Michiru turned her head to look up at Haruka.  
“What do you mean?”  
“You don’t even pay attention to me anymore. You only care about Hotaru.” Michiru looked at Haruka’s serious look before she started giggling.  
“Come and sit here,” she said and patted the spot on the floor next to her. Haruka sat down, the frown still on her face.  
“Look at this cute girl. Even though she has stolen my heart, I still love you. That will never change. You’ll just have to learn how to share that love,” Michiru explained calmly like she was talking to a child. Haruka stared at the baby in front of her. Hotaru was now trying to reach up to her with her tiny fingers. That adorable smile made Haruka break.  
“Fine. But you owe me a kiss and a hug,” she said and was just about to pick up Hotaru when the child was picked up. Haruka turned her head up and saw Setsuna standing next to her.  
“I’ll watch the baby so that Michiru can pay her debt,” Setsuna said and turned her attention to Hotaru.  
“Shall we go to the kitchen so that mama can have some tea? Yeah? Are you hungry? Oh, you’re so cute,” Setsuna cooed at Hotaru and the two disappeared into the kitchen. Michiru placed her hand on Haruka’s cheek.  
“Are you still jealous?” she asked and looked straight into Haruka’s eyes.  
“Yes, but I know how you can make me feel better,” Haruka said and pulled Michiru closer, pressing their lips together. Later she would have a little chat with Hotaru about how they would split Michiru’s attention. Well, it would most likely end up with Haruka just cooing at Hotaru since the girl was still too young to understand, but still, she needed to set some rules. This was her girlfriend, after all. For now, though, she would focus on kissing Michiru.


	10. You are my strenght

Michiru opened her eyes slightly as she felt someone sit next to her on the bed.  
“How are you feeling?” Haruka asked and felt Michiru’s forehead with her hand. Michiru smiled and closed her eyes again.  
“A little better,” she said. Haruka reached for the tray on the nightstand.   
“I brought you some food. You need to eat,” she reminded her girlfriend.  
Michiru had fallen ill the night before. She had felt dizzy during the day, and by dinner she had been ready to collapse on the bed and fall asleep. She didn’t get sick that often. Haruka was usually the one being taken care of. Right now Michiru’s limbs felt cold and she could not even think about getting up.  
“Oh, that smells so good! Did Setsuna make it?” she asked as Haruka offered her a spoonful of the soup.  
“What, don’t you trust my cooking skills?” Haruka asked as Michiru swallowed the soup. She looked up at Haruka, and the blonde reached for the tray again.  
“All right, she made it. And Hotaru added a secret ingredient. Apparently Makoto told her that all food needs some love in order to taste better. Still, you should have some faith in me!” she said and offered Michiru another spoonful. The patient opened her mouth and ate. Somehow it felt like she really could taste the love.  
Haruka reached for the bowl of soup again, but Michiru shook her head.  
“It’s still a bit hot. And I’m not that hungry yet. I can eat later,” she said. Haruka set the spoon on the tray.  
“All right, but you need to remember to eat. I want you to get better,” she said and brushed Michiru’s hair from her sweaty forehead. “But you’re a strong woman. You’ll fight this off in no time!”  
Michiru smiled.  
“You are my strength,” she said and slipped her hand out from underneath the thick blanket and laced her fingers through Haruka’s. The blonde smiled and leaned down to kiss her sick girlfriend.  
“Unfortunately, you’re also my weakness,” Michiru added. Haruka smiled down at her.  
“And you are mine.”


	11. Cereal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Haruka and Michiru are shopping for some food.

”Could you go pick up the cereal while I get the milk?”  
Michiru looked through the shopping list she and Setsuna had made. Everything was thought through carefully; every meal should be healthy yet tasty.   
“Right, yes, cereal!” Haruka marched over to the cereal aisle. She looked through the options very carefully. Maybe she should get the chocolate ones? Or the ones with honey on them. No, the ones with filling were on sale. Oh, but she hadn’t had those animal-shaped ones in a long time! The quest for cereal turned out to be harder than expected.   
“Did you decide yet?” Michiru had appeared from somewhere with the cart.  
“No, not yet. Do you think I should get the chocolate ones or those animal-shaped ones?” Haruka pondered, stroking her chin. Michiru sighed and picked up a box from the shelf.  
“How about these ones? There are little pieces of strawberry in here,” she suggested. Hauka frowned.  
“But… there’s not enough sugar on those!”  
“You should really start to eat healthier food; you consume way too much sugar. Besides, Hotaru eats the same cereal as you; I don’t want to take her to the dentist’s just because you refuse to let go of your lion-shaped cereal.”  
“There are elephants and crocodiles, too!”   
Michiru raised her brow. She knew she had already won.  
“Fine. We’ll buy those ones. But let’s buy some ice-cream, too!” Haruka said. Next time, she would buy proper cereal.


	12. A quiet New Year

”How much longer?” Hotaru asked with a yawn.

“Two minutes,” Setsuna said and lifted the girl into her lap. Michiru came from the kitchen and set on the table a tray with three glasses of sparkling wine and one glass of juice.

“After midnight, you’re going straight to bed after brushing your teeth,” she said and sat down on the sofa between Setsuna and Haruka. Hotaru was too tired to protest.

“One minute,” Haruka whispered into Michiru’s ear and reached to take a glass for herself and Michiru. Setsuna took the two remaining glasses and handed the juice to Hotaru.

The four of them sat in silence. They had been asked to join Usagi and the others for the New Year’s, but the small family had wanted to spend the midnight in peace. Time like this was important to them. None of them could have ever even dreamed of having a happy little family like this.

“Ten seconds,” Setsuna said. Hotaru gathered all of her energy and sat up properly.

“5…4…3…2…1…Happy New Year!” Haruka leaned down to kiss Michiru.

“To the new year!” Setsuna said and raised her glass. The others did the same. _I wish for another year with the people I love_ , Setsuna thought as Hotaru finished her drink and rested her head against Setsuna.


	13. Dinner can wait

Haruka leaned her back against the kitchen wall. Her eyes followed Michiru’s every movement. The only sounds in the room were the knife hitting the cutting board and the quiet music coming from the radio. Chop. The song ended. Chop. The announcer told the name of the next song. Chop. Haruka turned up the volume. Chop. Her legs led her to stand behind Michiru. Chop.  
“Michiru.”  
Chop.  
“Dance with me.”  
Chop.  
“I’m making dinner.”  
Chop.  
“Please?”  
Michiru set down the knife and turned around to face Haruka. She wrapped her arms around the blonde’s neck. Haruka smiled down at her and pulled her closer. The two of them started to slowly swing back and forth. Michiru laid her head against Haruka’s chest. Everything was perfect.   
“I love you,” Haruka whispered, all caught up in the mood. Michiru raised her head and stood on her toes to kiss Haruka’s lips.  
“I love you too.” She laid her head back down against Haruka. The blonde smiled and started to hum the song quietly. Dinner could wait.


	14. Teacups

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hotaru is jealous

”Mama,” Hotaru whispered quietly. Her three parents didn’t seem to hear her, so she decided to try again.

“Mama,” she said a little more loudly this time, and tugged at Setsuna-mama’s shirt. The woman turned to look down at her daughter.

“Can you wait for a minute, Hotaru?” she asked and turned her attention elsewhere. Hotaru sighed and walked into the living room, where she had laid out her favorite tea-set. She wanted to play with someone, but all three of her parents were busy. And that had been the case ever since that thing came into the house.

Hotaru remembered how happy her parents had been at first. Papa had even cried a little. Hotaru had also been happy. But then she noticed that she wasn’t getting as much attention as before. Her parents were always busy with that thing, and now Hotaru had to play alone.

The girl sat down on the sofa and looked sadly at the small cups on the table. The blue one was Haruka-papa’s cup. The pink one was for Michiru-mama and the yellow for Setsuna-mama. Hotaru’s cup was red. The purple cup was reserved for guests. But right now there was nobody to play with, and the imaginary tea was getting cold.

Hotaru looked up to see her parents standing in the doorway. Haruka-papa had her arm around Michiru-mama, who was holding a small bundle in her arms. They walked over to Hotaru, and Michiru-mama sat next to her.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Setsuna-mama asked quietly as she walked to stand behind the sofa, leaning against the back of it. Hotaru looked up at her and then at the small bundle in Michiru-mama’s arms.

“I want to hold her,” she said and reached out with her arms. Michiru-mama smiled gently, and Haruka-papa reached to help Hotaru.

“Support the head,” Michiru-mama said. Hotaru moved her arm a little. She looked down at the small person she was holding. Her nose twitched, and the small hand moved a little. The child’s mouth opened and closed before she finally opened her eyes. Hotaru stared down at her in awe. The baby just blinked and didn’t even start crying.

“She likes you,” Haruka-papa smiled. Hotaru could feel Setsuna-mama stroking her hair.

“You’ll make a great sister,” Michiru-mama said.

Sister. That was something Hotaru hadn’t considered. This small baby was her sister. She had never had one before, but she knew that sisters were supposed to protect each other. Therefore, as a big sister, she was supposed to protect and take care of this baby.

“Can I pick a name for her?” Hotaru asked as she stared back down at her sister. Haruka-papa glanced at Michiru-mama.

“Actually, we’ve already picked a name,” Setsuna-mama said.

“What is it, then?” Hotaru asked and watched as the baby yawned a little.

“Asami,” Michiru-mama said, stroking the baby’s cheek carefully. Hotaru nodded and thought for a moment.

“Can you take her back? She’s heavy,” she asked and Michiru-mama took little Asami back into her arms.

“I’ll be right back. Meanwhile, you can play with Haruka-papa and Setsuna-mama,” Michiru-mama said as she got up. She was so good at being a mother. She was able to move with a baby so easily, even though Hotaru thought that the baby was heavy and hard to hold.

Haruka-papa and Setsuna-mama sat down on the floor by the coffee table. Hotaru slid down from the sofa and started to pass out the cups. Blue for Haruka-papa. Yellow for Setsuna-mama.

“Do we have anything to eat with the tea?” Haruka-papa asked.

“Yes. Cookies,” Hotaru said proudly and set a green plate filled with imaginary cookies in the middle of the table. Then she put her own red cup in front of her, before setting Michiru-mama’s pink cup next to Haruka-papa. Finally, Hotaru picked up the purple cup. She studied it carefully, and set it next to herself. The purple cup would now be Asami’s cup.


	15. Cinnamon

”You shouldn’t be here,” Pluto said calmly as Neptune pulled her in for a hug.

“Nice to see you too,” Uranus said. She handed a piece of paper to Pluto, who looked down at it with confusion written all over her face.

“What’s this?” she asked as she took the paper.

“Hotaru drew it for you. She’s starting to miss you,” Neptune said and pulled away from the hug.

“Wait… how long have I been gone?” Pluto asked, looking up from the drawing. Being at the gates made it hard to know how fast or slow time moved elsewhere.

“A few weeks for now. When are you coming back? I miss your cinnamon toasts,” Uranus said. Pluto looked back down at the drawing. The four figures stood in front of a big house, with big smiles on each of their faces.

“I’m not sure,” Pluto answered quietly. She did miss being with her family, but she needed to also take care of her duty.

“Please?” Neptune pleaded, taking Pluto’s hand into hers.

“Fine. I’ll come home,” Pluto sighed.

“Great! Will you make me some cinnamon toast right now? I’m hungry,” Uranus asked and wrapped her other arm around Neptune’s waist and the other around Pluto’s shoulders.

“Maybe. I haven’t had cinnamon in a while,” Pluto smiled.


	16. The Beach

Hotaru smoothed out the sand with her hands.

“Mama, look!” she said happily and pointed at her sand castle.

“It’s very pretty, sweetie. Will you come and drink some juice now?” Setsuna asked. Hotaru ran over to her parents, who were resting in the shadow.

“Are you ready to go home soon?” Haruka asked and ruffled her daughter’s hair.

“No! I want to go swimming again!” Hotaru protested and drank her juice greedily. 

“Fine, but not for long. And stay near the shore where we can see you,” Michiru said as Hotaru got up and started to run towards the water. The three women watched as the child started to splash the water around.

“There’s still some juice left. Do you want some?” Setsuna asked. Haruka and Michiru nodded and took the glasses Setsuna was offering. Michiru leaned herself against Haruka. She could use more moments like these; happy times with her family, with no worries of tomorrow.


	17. Makeovers

Hotaru pushed the door open and peeked inside the bedroom. Once she was sure that nobody was in there, she stepped inside. Asami followed her, holding onto her sister’s hand. Hotaru lead them to the closet and opened it.  
”I want to wear this,” she proclaimed and pulled one of Michiru-mama’s blouses down from the hanger. It had a beautiful flower pattern on it, and even though it was a shirt, it reached up to Hotaru’s knees.

Asami studied the remaining clothes carefully. She noticed a blue shirt at the back of the closet and pointed at it with her small fingers.  
”That one?” Hotaru asked, and Asami pointed at it again. Hotaru stepped on one of the shoe-boxes on the floor and reached up to grab the shirt. The girls put on their shirts and admired themselves from the mirror. Asami had a hard time walking in hers, since it reached all the way to the floor.

”Now me must do our hair,” Hotaru explained and lead Asami to the bathroom. She grabbed one of Haruka-papa’s hair products and opened it.  
”I think Haruka-papa uses this one,” she said and handed the small bottle to Asami. The one-year-old took it and started to put the sticky wax into her own hair. Hotaru then took the bottle and did the same for herself.  
”We also need some decorations,” Hotaru said and opened one of the drawers, revealing all of Michiru-mama’s hair pins. Asami grabbed the hairband that had been left sitting at the edge of the counter.  
”Do you want these ones?” Hotaru asked and showed Asami some hairpins with small flowers on them. Asami nodded. Hotaru secured the pins next to the headband Asami had just put into her hair.  
”I’m going to wear these,” Hotaru said. She had found some hairpins with pearls on them. She put them into her hair carefully and looked at herself from the mirror.  
”Now we need some make up,” she said and lead Asami to the hallway.

The two sisters sneaked into Setsuna-mama’s room and walked over to the vanity table on the other side of the room. They sat onto the stool and started to go through all of the different products that were spread on the table. Hotaru took the brightest red lipstick she could find and applied it on her lips, just like Setsuna-mama did. Asami looked at her sister’s example and grabbed another color, spreading it on her lips, with most of it landing on her cheek.  
”Now, blush,” Hotaru said and showed Asami the big brush and pink box. She handed the brush to Asami, who wiped it against Hotaru’s cheeks and forehead. Hotaru took the brush and made two bright pink circles on Hotaru’s cheeks.  
”We also need some eyeshadow,” Hotaru explained and opened a big box with all the possible colors. She took a smaller brush and started to spread purple eyeshadow on one eye and blue to the other one.  
”Which one do you want?” she asked Asami, who was looking at her sister in awe. Hotaru was so talented, just like Setsuna-mama and Michiru-mama. Asami stuck her finger into the brightest yellow on the palette, and Hotaru grabbed the brush.

”Michiru-mama?”  
Michiru nearly dropped the plate she was holding when she turned to look at her daughters.  
”What are you wearing?” she asked and set the plate down on the kitchen counter. She leaned down and ran her hand through Hotaru’s hair.  
”And your hair is all sticky, too,” she added with a sigh.  
”I’m sorry. We just wanted to be pretty ladies like you and Setsuna-mama,” Hotaru said.  
”Ladies,” Asami echoed. Michiru just smiled and shook her head.  
”It’s okay, I’m not mad. Haruka! Can you bring the camera here?” Michiru called as she stood up.  
”Here, what do you need it- oh,” Haruka said as she walked into the kitchen with the camera. Setsuna followed her with an amused smile on her face.  
”Look, we’re pretty ladies!” Hotaru said as Michiru took a picture of the two sisters.  
”Yes, I can see that,” Haruka laughed. Setsuna stepped closer and wiped some of the extra lipstick off of Asami’s cheek.  
”You’re both very pretty, but next time you want to play dress up, please ask permission first,” she said. Haruka took the camera from Michiru and took another picture.


	18. Rolling

”Come on, Asami, like this,” Hotaru said and turned to lie on her stomach. The baby just blinked at her.

“Mama, she’s not doing it!” Hotaru pouted as Asami tried to grab Hotaru’s sleeve.

“She’ll do it when she’s ready, dear,” Michiru replied, her eyes not leaving the television. Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna were sitting on the sofa watching a movie while their children lay on the floor.

Hotaru sighed and gently poked Asami’s side.

“Come on. Turn around,” she said. The baby just kept staring at her. Hotaru poked her again and Asami reached up to pat her sister.

“Look, Asami. I’ll show you,” Hotaru said and lay down on her back. She turned around on her stomach. Asami moved a little, but stayed on her back.

“Fine. I’ll help you,” Hotaru sighed and gently pushed Asami. The baby was now almost on her side.

“Be careful, Hotaru,” Setsuna reminded her.

“Yeah,” Hotaru replied as Asami fell down again on her back.

The girl thought for a moment. Then she took one of Asami’s toys from the floor and placed it just out of the baby’s reach.

“Turn around and you can reach it, Asami. I know you can do it!” she cheered. The baby looked at her before starting to slowly turn. Hotaru held her breath as Asami was on her side. Just a little more!

Finally the baby rolled around on her stomach.

“Mama! Did you see that?” Hotaru asked and tugged Michiru’s sleeve.

“Yes, I did. You’re both so smart,” Michiru smiled as Asami reached for the toy and tried to put it in her mouth. Hotaru returned to playing with Asami.

“Should we tell her that Asami turned around earlier today?” Haruka whispered.

“Of course not,” Setsuna said with a smile as she watched the two girls practice rolling on the floor.

 


	19. Box baby

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The new family spends their first night in the new house.

”I have some bad news,” Setsuna said as she walked into the kitchen.

“What is it?” Michiru asked. She set the plates she was holding onto the table.

“The moving company called and said that they’ve run into some trouble. They won’t be able to deliver our furniture until tomorrow,” Setsuna sighed.

“What?! How are we supposed to move in without our furniture? We don’t even have a bed!” Haruka complained as she walked in with a new box of dishes.

“We’ll just need to think of a way to survive until tomorrow. As for the bed, there’s the mattress the previous owners left upstairs,” Michiru suggested. Haruka set the box on the counter.

“But there’s only one mattress,” Haruka reminded her. She took out a knife and cut open the box.

“We won’t mind sharing with Setsuna. Isn’t that right, Haruka?” Michiru asked in her usual teasing voice.

“Uh, yeah. Of course not,” Haruka said, sounding unsure.

“Well if you’re both okay with it, then I guess it’s fine. But what about Hotaru? We can’t let her sleep on the mattress in case one of us happens to roll over during the night,” Setsuna pointed out and gestured towards the baby that was laying on the floor on top of a blanket.

“We can use these,” Haruka said, pointing at the box she had just opened.

“Are you seriously suggesting that we would put our baby in a box?” Michiru asked and leaned down to pick Hotaru up from the floor.

“We have some blankets and pillows in the back of my car. We’ll just put one of them in a box. Besides, she’s too young to know where she’s sleeping,” Haruka explained.

“Haruka does have a point. We don’t really have anywhere else to put her,” Setsuna agreed. Michiru sighed and looked down at the small child in her arms.

“Fine. Go get a blanket then. I think Hotaru is ready for a nap,” she smiled as Hotaru’s eyes started closing.

 

For the remainder of the day, Haruka, Michiru and Setsuna unpacked the boxes they had managed to bring in by themselves. The house still felt very empty and cold, but it was the best they could do without any furniture. Haruka had dragged the mattress to the living room since it was still very cold in the bedroom without any rugs or even curtains.

“So how do you want to sleep?” Setsuna asked as she covered the mattress with a sheet.

“I think I should sleep in the middle since I’m the smallest,” Michiru suggested. Haruka agreed with her and set Hotaru’s box down onto the floor, next to the mattress.

“I think she likes her new bed,” Michiru laughed as she put Hotaru into the box. The baby relaxed almost immediately.

“Should we also get some sleep? There isn’t anything else to do around here,” Haruka asked and nuzzled Michiru’s neck. Setsuna dropped three pillows on the mattress, along with blankets for each of them. Haruka wasted no time crawling under hers, pulling Michiru down with her. Setsuna turned off the lights and lay down next to Michiru.

“Good night, Michiru. Good night, Setsuna. Good night, box baby,” Haruka said with a yawn.

“Box baby?” Setsuna asked. Haruka could practically hear her raising her eyebrows.

“Yes. She’s a baby. She’s in a box. She’s a box baby,” Haruka explained. She felt Michiru giggle against her neck.

“Box baby. I like it. It’s cute,” Michiru said and snuggled against Haruka.

“I think we should still call her Hotaru,” Setsuna laughed. Just then, Hotaru let out a small yet surprisingly loud sigh.

“See? She also likes ‘box baby’,” Haruka said.

“Just go to sleep already,” Setsuna sighed, pulling her blanket tighter around herself.

“Hmph. Fine. Good night, Michiru, Setsuna and box baby,” Haruka said, earning a groan from Setsuna and another giggle from Michiru.

“Good night,” Setsuna and Michiru replied in unison. Their little box baby slept peacefully in her box.

 


	20. Little helper

”Can you hand me that big shiny metal stick?” Haruka asked, extending her hand. Asami picked up the shiny metal stick, not quite sure what it was actually called. It was heavy, but she handed it over to her papa. She got closer and tried to stand on her toes to see better. Haruka-papa was doing some repairs to her car's engine, or that's what she had said. Asami wasn't sure what the engine was. Papa said it was the thing that made the car go ”vroom vroom”.

”Give me the smaller metal stick,” Haruka said now. She waited, but Asami didn't hand her anything.

”Asami?” Haruka asked, finally looking up from the car. She looked around and saw Michiru standing by the door, holding Asami in her arms.

”You know she's not allowed in the garage, love,” Michiru explained.

”She was just helping me by handing out tools. Nothing too dangerous,” Haruka said. Asami nodded in agreement. She was really good at handing out things.

”There are plenty of dangerous objects here. Children are curious, you never know when she will decide to test out the drill,” Michiru said. Haruka sighed.

”Fine. I'll finish here alone then. I'll miss my little helper,” she said and smiled at Asami. Michiru shook her head and and walked out of the garage, taking Asami with her. Asami was confused. If she didn't even know what the drill was, how was she supposed to test it out?

 

**

 

”Stick?” Asami asked, offering her mama a bright red lipstick.

”No, sweetheart, I won't be wearing any lipstick today,” Michiru explained. Asami watched in amazement as mama applied something called mascara on her face.

”Me too,” Asami said. Michiru turned to look at her and smiled.

”I'll put some lipstick on you, all right?” she offered and took the lipstick from Asami. With her left hand she held Asami's head still while applying the lipstick with her right.

”There you go. Why don't you go play with Hotaru? Mama needs to finish her make up alone,” Michiru said. Asami pouted. She wanted to help mama with the make up.

”Go on. I'm almost done,” Michiru said, leaning down to give her daughter a kiss on the cheek.

 

**

 

”Asami, let Hotaru do her homework. You can play with her later,” Setsuna said.

”It's okay, mama, she's helping me,” Hotaru explained. Setsuna turned to look at the girls. Asami was placing stickers all over Hotaru's notebook.

”Sweetheart, how about you put those on some other paper instead? They're very pretty, but Hotaru's teacher might not like them,” Setsuna said as she rushed over to take Hotaru's notebook away from Asami. The small girl waited until her mama gave her a new piece of paper to put the stickers on. She would leave it between the pages of Hotaru's book – a real book with lots of words – so that she'd have something pretty to look at when she was not at home.

 

**

 

”Help?” Asami asked and tugged her mama's skirt.

”All right. Come on,” Setsuna said and picked up the cutting board. She moved it from the counter to the dining table and sat down on one of the chairs. Asami climbed up to sit in her lap, and Setsuna took her hand into hers.

”Remember to keep your other hand under the table,” Setsuna reminded her as she picked up the knife. Asami got to hold the knife as mama guided her hand. Together they cut the vegetables into small pieces. Asami was excited. She never got to use a knife. Maybe one day she would be allowed to use one on her own. That would be very exciting.


	21. Special powers

Setsuna sat by her desk and stared at the computer screen. She had been working with this project for the whole day and it still wasn’t finished. Setsuna glanced at the clock and sighed. She could finish her work in the morning, right now she just needed some sleep. Before she could get up, she felt someone tugging on her sleeve.

“Mama?” a small voice asked next to her. Setsuna turned to look at Asami, who was standing next to her and leaning her head on the chair’s armrest.

“What is it, sweetheart? Shouldn’t you be sleeping?” Setsuna asked. She pushed the chair away from the desk and lifted the girl to sit on her lap.

“Why don’t I have any powers?” Asami asked quietly.

“What do you mean?”

“Why don’t I have special powers like you and Michiru-mama and Haruka-papa and Hotaru do? I’m the only one who isn’t special,” Asami said sadly. Setsuna stroked the girl’s dark hair gently.

“Of course you’re special,” she said with a smile.

“But I don’t have powers,” Asami sighed. Setsuna noticed a tear on the girl’s cheek and wiped it away.

“Do you know why we have powers?” she asked. Asami shook her head. “We get out powers from our planets. We’re tied to them, and they’re tied to us. Without this bond we wouldn’t have our powers,” Setsuna explained while Asami rubbed her tired eyes.

“I want to be special too,” Asami said.

“You don’t need powers to be special. Do you want to know a secret?” Setsuna asked and stroked the girl’s cheek. Asami nodded and leaned her head against her mother’s hand. “Before we got you, we thought that we wouldn’t be able to have a second child. We talked about different options, but none of them were right for us. Then we got you, and we were happier than ever before, because you were like a small miracle. You’ve made us happy every day. That’s what makes you special. You make us happy by existing,” Setsuna explained. Asami didn’t say anything.

“Do you feel better now?” Setsuna asked and took Asami’s small hand into hers.

“Yes,” Asami answered quietly.

“In that case, we can go to bed,” Setsuna said and stood up, carrying Asami in her arms. “You can come sleep next to me tonight,” she continued, but Asami didn’t answer, because she had already fallen asleep against her mother’s chest.


	22. Cuddles in the cold

”Well?”

”They said they’ll be here in a few hours,” Haruka said, putting the phone down on the table. Michiru frowned and lifted her legs on the sofa, hiding them under the blanket she had wrapped around herself.

“A few hours is too much. I can’t believe the heating system had to break right now. It would have been much easier to handle in the summer,” she said, tightening her grip on the blanket.

“Don’t worry, I’ll keep you warm,” Haruka said. She walked over and put her hands over Michiru’s. She made her open the blanket enough to allow her to slip underneath it before hugging Michiru’s body close to hers.

“Your hands are cold,” Michiru pointed out as Haruka touched her arm.

“Sorry. Can you warm them for me?” Haruka asked, her warm breath tickling Michiru’s cheek. Michiru took Haruka’s hands into hers and squeezed them gently.

“Like this?” she asked, pressing a kiss on Haruka’s knuckles.

“I was thinking more like this,” Haruka said. She slid her cold hands under Michiru’s shirt, which made Michiru squirm.

“Stop that!” Michiru laughed and pulled Haruka’s hands away, “Are you sure you didn’t break the heating on purpose just to get a chance to cuddle?”

“No, but maybe I’ll do it next time,” Haruka said, kissing Michiru’s neck.

“Don’t you dare. Just ask me instead,”Michiru replied. She ran her fingers through Haruka’s hair and smiled.

“But this way you have to cuddle me,” Haruka explained. Michiru just shook her head.

“Just promise me you won’t break anything just for a cuddle,” she sighed. Haruka’s reply was muffled by the blanket as she disappeared underneath it to keep her girlfriend warm.


End file.
